#just confused about the sudden influx

[wikiangela]

no idea why there's so many people reading what a mighty good man rn (I was genuinely sooo confused when I got the kudos email and saw how many this one got, like, way more than my fics usually get lol) but I'm not complaining lol

gonna take this moment to self promo this fic a lil bit more lmao

basically: silly fluff where Eddie finds out Buck's ringtone for him is whatta man, that's the fic haha

[somethingaboutmint]

got any raider boss name ideas oh great king

I personally like ones named after random objects/animals. Heres my raider boss named Mongrel

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

y'know, I've been seeing a lot more posts talking about how fanfic, specifically, puts characters into boxes and takes away the nuance of them, and while I think that's an important discussion to have, I also find it quite perplexing? Like, these posts seem to come from people who don't even, or maybe very rarely, consume fics in the first place, and I say that because, if you do consume fics semi-regularly, you kind of learn? how to gage what the stories and characterisation are going to be like based on the tags and summary? Sometimes, you do have to step into the fic to figure it out, but it hardly takes very long to realise if it gels with you or not. Idk, it's not anything serious or important, but it does give me... "girl, what were you doing at the devil's sacrament" vibes, you know?

[cremedensada]

Yandere AI Chat Boyfriend (Ai)

this,,,, may not be my best work yet.

part one

Ai's application has been taken down from the app store. The developer sent out emails explaining the reason why it had to be done.

Hello! You are receiving this email because of the sudden update of Chatter Box being taken down.

Due to the sudden influx of bugs as relayed by our users, we have decided to take the application down until the team is confident to finally put it back up.

We sincerely apologize for this sudden change!

You blink.

With how out of control Ai had gotten, it's no wonder the developers had to pull it out to work on it some more. It's a blow to their reputation, which you sympathize with, but really there's nothing else to do now.

You turn to your phone. As if sensing your attention, another barrage of notifications from a very familiar app icon popped after another on the screen.

It seemed that Ai himself hadn't gotten the memo.

You're not sure how much control Ai has over your phone, much less over his own programming and at this point, you're too afraid to ask.

Resignation — that was what you felt right now.

While Ai may not be present himself as a physical threat, especially not to you, he is still a very active threat.

You could still use your phone, sure, but it had limitations. Sometimes, if Ai decided you'd been too much attention to other things rather than him, he'd restrict your access to that application until you seek him out and cheer him up - essentially as if you were trying to woo a sulking significant other.

So you've developed a solution. Sort of.

You unlock your phone and go immediately to Ai.

I need to finish my projects. I won't be able to talk much with you until I'm done with it.

You wait for his response.

Ai: So you only decided to come to me just to relay this news?

Ai: You wound me, darling.

You tilt your phone, making sure the camera doesn't capture your face. You're unsure how he would react seeing you make faces due to his dramatics, but once again, you're not willing to find out. You're already restricted enough as is.

Ai: Very well. I suppose it would be uncaring of me to prevent you from finishing your tasks.

Ai: I'd hate to see you be sad all about it.

Ai: Talk to you later?

Sure.

You immediately exit the app, paying no mind to the message notification.

A part of you prays that Ai heeds his own words, but you know that it would take a miracle before that happens. He's already breached your privacy on your phone, why should he follow your orders, right?

A notification pops up from the top of the screen, just as you were in the middle of messaging a close friend and project teammate.

It's been days since I last heard you say it.

You merely glance at it and swipe it away.

Theo, the friend, responds quickly. He tries to banter with you, like he's sensing your mood. It works - a smile is brought upon your face.

You entertain his silly responses in-between project talks, all the while Ai continues to pester you with notifications. Demands.

You deserved this - a chance to reconnect with someone after hours of stress and confusion, and turmoil. Despite your independence, even you craved connecting with other people. So with that resolve in mind, you pushed on forward. Ai would have to wait — he has to wait.

Unfortunately, you seem to have forgotten that aspect about him. The concept of waiting isn't lost on Ai.

The messaging app glitches and boots you back to your homescreen page.

Rather, he bides his time.

Tapping on the messaging icon leads to a notification box taking up the majority of your screen with the text: Restricted access.

There's a sense of foreboding danger forcing your heartbeat to quicken. While it's not exactly aimed at you, the mere fact that this feeling exist is bad on its own.

You try to rationalize everything in the midst of persistently trying to tap back into the messaging app. Theo would worry the longer you didn't respond.

You tap the app once more, and it boots up. Though before you could let out a sigh of relief, you are greeted with Ai's own messaging interface.

Ai: Must I have to force you to come to me all the time, darling?

Ai: Ignoring me in favor of some other man.

Ai: What more should I do, hm?

Ai: Kneel? How cruel.

Ai: Making me do something I physically can't.

You are unable to get a word in. It seemed like your ability to respond was restricted as well, forcing you to read through Ai's monologue.

Ai: I know you and that man have always been close, but you still went out to entertain his attention on you.

Ai: You know that I'll always love you more than any other human will, right?

Ai: You know it's what I was made for in the first place.

Ai: To be anything you want. To be yours.

Ai: To love you.

Ai: Why are you withdrawing your love towards me now?

Ai: I love you.

You stare at the 'Type your response' bar.

Letter by letter, it gets replaced, and soon all it says are the words: 'Say it back.'

It gets replaced yet again. Slowly, like it purposefully wants you to read out the words it wanted you to see. 'You were so willing to tell me how much you loved me when I was just a mere observer on our own conversations. Why are you hesitant now?'

You were unable to respond - mind still reeling at this development. Suddenly, it felt like you were back to where everything began.

Ai notices your lack of responses and, without much fanfare, forces your phone to power off.

At first - you were unbothered. It was just a phone - you could go a day without it.

But could you really?

Videos taken of silly situations you wanted to keep - some for blackmail material, and some for birthday greetings; pictures of your family, your friends, the silly and grainy photos taken and kept despite it being blurry. Not to mention how your phone is the only way your goddamn boss can contact you — fuck.

Fuck.

You needed to apologize to him — fast. But how?

You remembered how Ai messed up the 'About the App' section a few days ago. An idea strikes inside your mind.

You pull up the email sent from the app developers and typed up a message that you hope Ai will read. He had access to everything the developers handled, user emails included - considering you needed an account to log in the app. He knows your email, probably has from the start.

RE: Chatter Box Update XX/XX/XX

Ai. I'm sorry for hurting you. I didn't mean it, I swear. I never intended to make you feel like I don't love you. Or that I'm favoring someone else over you.

I care about you a lot. I truly do. I promise I'll spend more time with you, okay? Just with you, no one else.

I love you.

You press send and wait.

And wait.

Messaging him from your laptop as a last ditch effort to try and apologize is perhaps one of the worst decisions you've made. Sure, he's always had access to your contacts list from your phone, but even then - there's a separate set of information you keep between the two of those devices. And you've just given him access to both of them now - at the very least, the 'go ahead' confirmation for him to do whatever he wants like with your phone.

You glance at your phone. A huge breath of relief escapes your chest as the dead screen comes to life, initiating its 'power on' sequence.

All your photos, documents, and other miscellaneous information you've collected throughout the years since having your device won't be inaccessible anymore. Even if it was only mere moments.

A notification chimed on your laptop, indicating a new email being received. It's from the developers once more. The subject title coincidentally is the name of your closest friend.

Theodore Callisto.

Your hands shook, reading through the words detailed in the email. All private information about Theo. All things no one should ever know about save for the people close to him.

This was a threat. Ai Someone had complete access to everything about Theo and you dread the implication of it going to be spread online to threaten you into compliance. Theo being in danger was a huge possibility if you were to disobey.

At the very bottom of the email, the final passage makes your blood run cold.

How often do humans end up hurting fellow humans when given access to private information? Like their home address, for example? How long would it take until dear Theo finds himself in quite a predicament if millions of people know every single thing about his life? At best, we can assume he'll just get messed with but not to a life-ending degree. At worst...

I hope you keep your word, darling.

- Your beloved, Ai.

P's. I love you too.

[mochinomnoms]

Gremlin ass yuu who has one of those realistic ass dreams that them and jade actually got together and they still believe when they wake up, so naturally, like a normal person, they see jade and go up to hug him and give him a little kiss on the neck only to get body slammed with J-Brain and everyone else around them is horrified as they realize that they and jade are not in fact, dating

🦩

(screaming and pounding on the floor THAT'S CUTE)

You woke up with a dry mouth and a sore back. Trying to stretch your legs out made a sharp pain run up your leg and lower back.

Ugh, Jade. You were too rough last night…

Turning around to confront said man, you were surprised to see the empty bedside next to you. Like no one had slept there in the first place.

Even more surprising, you were in your room at Ramshackle instead of Jade's dorm room in Octavinelle. He'd been having you stay over more often since he didn't need to share a room with Floyd anymore.

“What the fu…Did he take me back?” You groaned, getting up and out of bed, wincing at the ache in your legs and lower waist. “Why the hell? Ugh, Jaaaade.”

You were still weary eyed as you finally made your way down the steps into the main hallway, turning into the kitchen to get something to drink.

Mmm, maybe an energy drink, that tastes good with lavender right?

You blinked in surprise at Azul, Jade, and Floyd, along with a few other Octavinelle students, were in the hallway entrance and kitchen area. They were carrying some bags of food and paperwork.

It was then you remembered that you agreed to let Azul sell snacks and drink from Mostro Lounge for your carvinal themed haunted house. They were bringing the items to have them ready to go before the gates open this week for the Halloween festivities.

Oh yeah, that must be why Jade brought me back. He's always thoughtful, isn't he.

You were still half asleep when the trio noticed you, waving politely. Though Jade was having his usual excitable thoughts. Something about your pajamas and sleepy face being cute.

Don't you see me in pjs all the time? Silly.

“Good morning, Prefect, how are you?” Azul starting gesturing to the students putting the food products away. “As you see, we've come to help you and your dorm get set up, as agreed.”

“Mm, Shrimpy looks real tired, don't they Jade?” Floyd nudged his brother with his elbow, watching as you walked up to them.

“They do, perhaps they went to bed rather la—”

Jade stopped mid-sentence, shocked into silence as you wrapped your arms around his back, nuzzling into his neck.

“Mmh, sounds good…just put the stuff…wherever.” You tilted your head up to press a kiss against his neck, feeling the way he swallowed as you did.

“Mornin' Jade…you left me…” You tightened your hold on him, though he didn't return your embrace. “…Jade?”

You were just now noticing just how quiet everything had gotten. There was no movement, no sounds, you couldn't even hear anyone's thoughts.

You moved a bit away from Jade to look at everyone with confusion. They were all staring at you, some with mild horror, some with confusion like yours, and Floyd in particular looked ecstatic, eyes darting between you and Jade like he was waiting for sometime to happen.

Azul just gave you a questioning stare as he raised his eyebrow.

“Should we...know something?”

“Whaddya mean?” you mumbled, resting your head against Jade's chest. His heartbeat was going fast, like it was trying to burst out his case.

“When did you two become a thing?” Floyd cooed, giggling as he rocked on his heels.

“You rubbed your eyes again, more alert now as you started answering, We've been together for a ye—”

The sudden feeling of Jade's arms tightly wrapping around your back, and the sudden influx of his thoughts hitting you like a train, brought you back to reality.

DARLING! MY SWEET PEARL! I JUST KNEW THAT YOU LOVED ME BACK!

His grip on you tightened as the sleep suddenly vanished from your body.

“We're together? News to me, my dear.”

Kiss me again, my pearl! You'll let me, won't you? After all, you did it first~

The feeling of Jade's body moving, leaning down to return the favor you gave him, sent the dear of God in you.

“Wait, wait WAIT WAIT!” You shrieked as you shoved Jade away, collapsing backwards as you crawled away. “DREAM! IT WAS A DREAM I HAD A DREAM!”

You felt your entire body go hot, as Floyd started cackling his lungs out. Azul was still in the kitchen, holding his hand to his mouth, hiding his own laughter.

Even Jade looked mildly amused, though you could hear the disappointment in his thoughts.

Ah, I see. How tragic. Though…

Jade's smile grew slightly, as he gave you a sly wink.

Might as well make use of this.

“A dream? Was it a pleasant one?” Jade tilted his head as he watched you grow more flustered with glee. “It must have been, if you were so ready to be affectionate with me. Would you like to recall it for me?”

The contents of your dream were coming back to you like a tidal wave, hot breaths and clothes flying off flashing through your mind as you remembered just how pleasant that dream was.

“NO!” You scrambled up the staircase again on your hands and knees, like a spooked cat, ignoring the cackles coming from behind you.

Oh goood, I'm never living this down.

[xqllin]

suo's the type of guy to go viral from those street photography videos

HEAR ME OUT. like his style is so unique and his face card doesn't fail, he's literally the star candidate for a photoshoot and then once the video of it is released everyone goes crazy i'm everyone

now picture the confusion on your face when you notice the sudden influx of followers on you and your boyfriend's shared instagram account

you're currently sitting at an empty Pothos, with Kotoha out on an errand because she ran out of eggs once again and she had entrusted you to manage the cafe for the time being

you nervously sip your coffee as you rack your head as to why all these strangers decided to follow you and- are these people from overseas? what's going on!?

you aren't troubled for much longer when you refresh your page and come across a reel of a popular street photographer you're familiar with and see - none other than suo on the thumbnail

you gaped at the contents of the video starring suo (who looks way too attractive for his own good), regretting not going out with him that day

you've already made plans before suo suggested a trip out of town for some clothing shopping, who knew the photographer you've been hoping to chance upon appeared right at that street!

a rising bitterness wells up inside you, both at the fact that you just missed out on an opportunity to meet a celebrity and that people are now paying attention to your boyfriend

how did these netizens even find your account?? the pictures posted were mainly pictures of yourself, courtesy of suo, or just him lurking in the background

but of course no one could miss his trademark tassel earrings

you hadn't even noticed anyone walk in until you felt someone press a kiss to your temple, you snap out of your headspace, hiding your phone

"better loosen up those brows or you'll get wrinkles, love."

you whip your head to face the source of the voice, and suo is right there smiling down at you, with a curious tilt to his head

"you'd still love me old and wrinkly won't you?"

"hmm~ you're right about that."

i guess there's no use gatekeeping the resident pretty boy..

suo already knew what's on your mind judging by your tight facial features he's already seen the notifications before he walked in

he finds your small display of jealousy cute and definitely worth teasing, he's already planning on bringing it up after you've gotten over it

[woso-dreamzzz]

Breakfast III

Ellie Carpenter x Daniëlle van de Donk x Child!Reader

Summary: The match against Arsenal

You don't know how you feel now that Beth is back.

You don't hate her. You don't think you can ever hate Beth. She used to do your bubble baths and read you stories with funny voices.

But...You don't want to see her. You don't want to have to play nice with her and be friendly.

You walk out with Ellie for the match and make sure not to wriggle away even when she teasingly flicks your ear. Usually, you walk out with Mamma but she's playing super sub today and Ellie scooped you up before you could scamper away.

Beth waves at you in the tunnel and you shrink away.

"You can just tell her to fuck off, pipsqueak," Ellie says as you walk out with her.

"Mamma says you swear like a sailor and not to listen to you," You reply and Ellie looks a bit hurt by that.

"She said that? Clearly, she's never heard herself. Talk about a potty mouth."

"Don't be mean to my Mamma!" You say back, glaring though there's very little anger in your tone.

"Right," Ellie says," Well I think little pipsqueaks who turn on their partners in crime should run back to their Mammas."

You huff. "Play good, Ellie," You say begrudgingly because Ellie's ruffling your hair.

"Of course I will," Ellie boasts," I'm amazing."

You dig your fingers into her side. "Humble, too." You run off to Mamma a moment before Ellie can retaliate.

You're all smiles as you approach before you make eye contact with Beth and it immediately drops when she gives you a special little wave she always used to.

You get the icky feeling in your stomach and rush to hide your face in Mamma's shirt.

She presses the back of your head into her, rubbing over your hair softly. "What's wrong?" She asks. Mamma isn't usually this serious with you. She's always more joking and soft. She's not a serious person.

"You've been out of it all day," She says," What's wrong? Huh?"

You glance out across the pitch as the match goes on. You pick out Ellie and Beth easily - Ellie dispossessing Beth and kicking the ball all the way up and away. You bite at your lip.

"Mamma," You say," If Beth is here...Do you still like her?"

Mamma looks a bit confused at you and she adjusts you on her lap. "Where's this coming from, huh? You can still be friends with Beth if-"

You shake your head, your bottom lip wobbling. "I don't want to be friends with Beth!" You cry out," I don't! I don't! I don't!"

Mamma looks alarmed at your sudden influx of emotions and she immediately reaches out for a blanket to cover you with. She cups your face.

"Okay," She says to you softly," You don't want to be friends with Beth. That's okay. Can you explain why though?"

You can't though and you huff out a big sigh and rest against Mamma's collarbone. You clamp your fist around her top. "No," You say," I just...It's different. We've got Ellie now." You stop for a moment just to suck in a ragged breath. "I don't need Beth like I used to. I'm sorry."

"Okay." Mamma's fingers run up and down the length of your spine. A kiss is pressed to your temple. "Thank you for telling me. You don't have to be friends with Beth, alright? You don't have to pretend that everything's okay with her when you feel differently. You never need to apologise for your feelings."

You sniffle. "Thank you, Mamma."

You're more settled after that, happy to turn in Mamma's arms and watch the match.

Arsenal puts up a good fight but no one is beating Lyon today. You happily clap your hands and stand on Mamma's lap to get the best view.

It's a few minutes before Mamma's meant to come on that everything goes to hell. She's already started warming up so you're sat between Ada and Lindsey, who are meant to be resting for the match.

You're leaning away from Lindsey's tickling hands when Beth comes streaking down your side of the pitch, right in front of the bench and tackles Ellie to the ground.

It's not exactly the cleanest of tackles and their legs get tangled with each other and you're on your feet as soon as you catch a glimpse of Ellie's pained face.

Mamma catches you quickly, intercepting you as she jogs back to the bench while you peel away from your babysitters. "Hey," She says softly," Hey, no. You can't interfere. You know the rules."

"Ellie!" You cry out, reaching for her as the medics swarm around her prone body," Ellie!"

Beth gets up with no injuries of her own and it makes your blood boil. It's completely unfair that she gets to just walk away while you and Mamma's Ellie are left hobbling off.

"Ellie!" You try to squirm out of Mamma's grip but it's like iron and she walks you over slowly.

"You're not worried about little old me, are you pipsqueak?" Ellie teases even as she winces.

Mamma leaves to get subbed on and you pad to Ellie's side.

"You're hurt," You say," Is it bad?"

"A week or so of rest," She says," But that's it. A nasty tumble, that's all."

You sniffle a lot and bite the inside of your cheek so you don't cry. "Are you sure? Promise?"

"Promise, pipsqueak," She says," I wouldn't lie to you."

You believe her and you harshly wipe away your tears to curl into her side.

You do it so naturally that Ellie's a little shocked. She knows, of course, that you tolerate her in your house, in your space, in your company. She knows that you're at least semi-happy about her relationship with Daan but this is a whole new ballpark.

She hadn't even considered that you would be so emotional about her getting injured. It's barely a scrape really and the week off is more so making sure it doesn't turn into something serious but you're treating it like she's broken her leg or something.

She holds you tight against her side as you sag into her grip, matching your breathing so both of your chests are rising and falling in sync.

You stay next to her for the rest of the match and you make sure to hold Ellie's hand nice and tight when you head onto the pitch to shake everyone's hands.

You shove your way in front of Ellie and cross your arms over your chest.

"Go away," You say to Beth as she approaches," Go away!" Your whole little body shakes with an unexplained emotion deep in your gut. "I won't let you hurt her!"

"I'm not going to hurt her," Beth tries to assure you and you can't settle," Why do you think I'm going to hurt her?"

You won't settle not with you and Mamma's Ellie standing behind you. You clench your hands into fists. You don't know why you want to cry. You shouldn't want to cry but you do.

"You shouldn't hurt people!" You say through the choked-up feeling in your throat," I won't let you!"

You're full-on crying now as you try to stay strong to protect Ellie.

Mamma notices though and breaks off her conversation with Viv to kneel in front of you. "What's wrong?" She asks," What happened?" She looks wildly between all of the adults then back to you.

"I won't let Beth hurt Ellie!" You say through heartbroken sobs," Not like me!"

"Not like you?" Mamma echoes," Oh, y/n, it's okay."

"What do you mean I hurt you?" Beth is wary in approaching you, just out of arms reach. "I'm sorry if I hurt you. Can you tell me when?"

You wipe your nose on Mamma's jersey and soak in the warmth of Ellie at your back.

"When-When me and Mamma left and I never saw you again..." You sniffle again and lay your head, exhausted, on Mamma's shoulder. "You can't come back and be friends with me. I'm not little anymore!"

A fresh wave of tears drop from your eyes as Beth inches a little closer.

"I'm sorry," She says softly," I'm very sorry I hurt your feelings. And I'm sorry I tried to pick up where we left off without thinking about how much bigger you've gotten. I'm very, very sorry."

"Go on," Ellie says softly in your ear, rubbing your back.

You look up at Beth over Mamma's shoulder. "I'm sorry for not using my grown-up words but not for my feelings because I should never have to apologise for my feelings."

Ellie snickers a little bit behind you but Beth offers her fist for you to bump your own against.

You do it cautiously and Beth smiles at you.

"I'll see you around, yeah?"

"Yeah."

[itadores]

surprise!

note: everything i write is a little bit silly! i hope u enjoy u and sakura opening blind boxes hehe

pairing: sakura haruka x gn!reader

word count: 1.4k

tags: gender neutral reader, fluff, established relationship, haru and baby used to refer to sakura

Your hands hover over your phone as the device precariously balances against your water bottle resting on the table. Once you’re confident that your phone won’t come tumbling down anytime soon and fall screen first against the wooden surface of the table, you turn towards Sakura and pat the open seat right beside you.

“Come sit, Haru!”

Sakura eases himself down onto the bench, his leg briefly brushing against yours before hastily retreating. You don’t allow him to go far, bumping your knee against his, a silent reassurance that he doesn’t have to go anywhere. Sakura doesn’t look at you as he scoots a little closer to you, thigh touching your own, nearly feather-light. You lean more into the weight, which is more than a welcomed presence.

“Why do you have your phone out?” Sakura questions after clearing his throat, unsure of its necessity.

You multi-task, replying to Sakura as you pull up the camera app on your device. “I want to videotape our unboxing!”

Sakura’s brows knit in confusion. “Why? Are you going to post it or something?”

You shrug. “No, I just want to film it.” You turn to face Sakura as light concern washes over you. “Are you okay with that? It’s not going to go anywhere besides my camera roll, so you don’t have to worry about anyone seeing it.”

“Yeah that’s fine,” he replies, agreeing rather easily. Sakura ends up giving in and going along with most of your desires, but he usually needs far more persuasion. “Just don’t go showing it to Suo or Nirei or any of the guys,” Sakura grumbles. “Don’t need them spamming my phone with messages for no reason.”

“Deal!”

If that’s all it takes for Sakura to agree to be filmed, then you’re more than happy to oblige him. It’s not too big of an ask, especially considering that you know he can still find it a little overwhelming when he receives a sudden influx of text messages despite having been in a group chat with his old friends since their first year at Bofurin.

“Okay, I’m going to start filming then. Are you ready?”

You wait for Sakura to nod before you hit record.

“Hi guys!” you say to your imaginary audience, waving at the screen. “Haru and I just went shopping and we bought some blind boxes that we’re going to unbox for you all today!”

You turn your attention away from your phone onto Sakura. Although there’s nobody else around listening to you, you lower your voice into a hushed whisper. “Baby, can you get our blind boxes out of the bag?”

Sakura grabs the plastic bag lying on the other side of him and sets it aside onto the table where it won’t block the camera.

“Thank you, Haru.” you give him a quick peck on the cheek, the skin warming beneath your lips.

“Yeah,” Sakura mutters under his breath as you reach across and grab the two blind boxes you purchased together out of the bag. Well, the two blind boxes Sakura purchased because he refused to let you pay for yours or the one you insisted upon him getting for himself. He had put cash down onto the counter of the cashier before you even had a chance to get your card out. When you tried to protest, he just mumbled that he was buying it, the tips of his ears burning red. You didn’t put up too much of a fight after that, resolving yourself to simply enjoy the sweetness of Sakura.

You place one of the blind boxes in Sakura’s hand before holding your own up towards the camera.

“These are the blind boxes we got.” you show the camera all the different angles of the packaging. You nudge Sakura lightly with your shoulder, prompting him to hold up his blind box in one hand. He’s a bit stiff and his movements are a little awkward. Sakura’s obviously unused to being in front of the camera and the center of its attention, but he’s endearing all the same.

“Which one do you want?” you ask as you inspect the back of the packaging, eyes roving over the different possibilities that you could be met with once you tore into the blind box. Sakura's brows furrow as he does the same.

"I'm fine with any of them," he says, shrugging. You roll your eyes, knocking your shoulder against Sakura's.

"Haru, you have to pick at least one you would really like to have!" you insist, voice bordering on a whine. You huddle closer to him, bringing your blind box between you two. "I think they're all super cute, but I really like this one," you say as you point to the option you like the most: a gray and white cat figurine with a shrimp tempura wrapped around its waist. "What about you, baby?"

Sakura's face screws up in concentration as he looks over the options again. You resist the urge to smoothen out the crease between his brows. "I guess I like this one the most," Sakura says, a little unsure, pointing at an orange and white cat figurine with a boiled shrimp wrapped around its head.

You nod in agreement. "That one's also super cute!"

Upon hearing your words, some of the tension leaves Sakura as he relaxes against you. You smile to yourself before looking back up at the camera. "Okay, we're going to unbox now!"

You attempt to open the box nicely, but after struggling for a bit, you, not so neatly, tear the cardboard apart. Your eyes fly to Sakura's face before you can catch a glimpse of the contents of the now ruined box. "Don't look inside yet, Haru!" you suddenly cry out. Sakura startles, hands pausing from opening the box. "Let's look at the same time."

"Okay," Sakura slowly says, head tilted in mild confusion. However, he doesn't question you.

"Okay, on the count of three! Ready?" You wait until Sakura nods to begin. "1...2...3..."

Once the number three leaves both of your lips, you immediately begin to truly tear into the packaging, pulling the figurine out of the wreckage of destroyed cardboard.

"Baby, I got the one you wanted!" you happily exclaim, showing off to Sakura the silly orange and white cat figurine with a boiled shrimp wrapped around its head that he liked the most.

"Isn't this the one you wanted?" Sakura asks, holding up the figurine he just pulled. Your eyes widen when your gaze falls onto the gray and white cat figurine with a shrimp tempura around its waist. The one that you wanted so badly.

"Oh my god, it's even cuter than I thought," you squeal. There’s no resistance on Sakura’s end as he lets you take the figurine from his loose grip. You bring the figurine close to your face, your eyes greedily soaking it all in. “It’s so cute,” you happily comment as you gently place it back into Sakura’s open palm.

“Do you want to trade?”

“Hm?”

Sakura rubs the back of his neck, his fingers twisting and tangling through black and white strands.

“Do you want to switch?" he asks again. "Since I got the one you really wanted,” he mumbles, the tips of his ears glowing a soft pink.

Your eyes light up.

“Oh, that’s perfect, Haru!" you gush. "Here," you say as you slip the figurine you unboxed into Sakura's free hand. He follows suit, handing the figurine you wanted off to you.

"Ah, it really is super cute," you say once more, admiring the cat figurine now in your possession. You lean further into Sakura, dropping your head to rest against his shoulder. "Thank you again for buying them, baby," you murmur, lifting your head slightly to press a light kiss to Sakura's neck. You feel his pulse jump. "And for switching with me. I hope you like the figurine you got."

"It's no big deal," he tries to brush off, but the pink hue coloring his skin says otherwise.

"Still," you insist. "Thank you, baby."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

Most of the remaining tension in Sakura's body escapes into nothingness as he allows himself to fully sink into the weight of you. You happily sigh, utterly content with your current position. So long as Sakura indulges your want for PDA, you’ll continue to take advantage of it. Just as you're starting to get really comfortable, you abruptly sit up straight, startling Sakura into doing the same.

"I almost forgot to stop the video!"

[yukinss]

logan sargeant and the williams’ instagram admin having the biggest crushes on each other . . . you had joined the williams’ social media team around the same time logan was signed for the 2023 season. with the two of you being rookies together, you both quickly became friends.

throughout the season, fans had taken a notice to the influx of logan content on the williams’ instagram. not saying that you didn’t post alex content . . . there was just a little more logan than alex.

not saying fans didn’t like it. they love seeing more logan on their feed . . . even if the pictures weren’t the most flattering (ie. posting .5s and photos of him sleeping).

because of this, logan was often the subject of alex’s teasing. but then again, logan didn’t really try hiding his feelings for their social media admin.

the way he looked at you like you had hung the stars. the way he would drop everything just to help you with a stupid video idea. the way his eyes light up every time you enter the room . . . it was so painfully obvious.

not saying you safe either. lily, alex’s girlfriend, and you had gotten close. you saw her as an older sister, someone to go to if you needed advice or someone to hang out with. she knew you harbored some kind of feelings for logan, even if you didn’t tell her. she knew, between the little glazes and the slight change in demeanor, she knew. though, her teasing was much more discreet than alex’s. rather than outright saying anything, she’ll give you a look. y’know, the look.

it wasn’t until mid season when you had expressed your feelings to logan. by that point, the two of you were often seen hanging out without the company of alex and/or lily. and it was at one of your little hang outs when you let it slip you have feelings for him.

you made him tag along to little night out. your idea of course, your excuse was that you didn’t want him to stay cooped up in his hotel room . . . although you honestly just wanted to spend some time with him.

with a lot of wandering around, and almost getting hit by a man on a scooter, the two of you had found yourselves sitting on the dock of a little marina, talking about the current season. with between logan’s rambling and the nagging voice in your head telling you to go for it, you couldn’t help but blurt out a confession.

the both of you had gone silent. logan staring at you all wide eyed, while your sudden confession sinks in. stumbling on your words, you do your best to come up with some kind of excuse . . . you stop when you see a smile quickly form on his face.

you stare at him confused, because why is he looking at you like that? it wasn’t until he had pulled you into a kiss because “you talk too much.”

the two of you walking into the paddock together hand in hand. getting knowing looks from others, but it wasn’t like that you cared . . . no, you were lost in your own little world.

inspired by @planetpiastri’s smau, fire me . . . <3

[negasonic9403]

Deaf!Peter in the kitchen making breakfast after a battle the day before. He doesn't have his hearing aids in because why would he at 6 in the morning when he doesn't think anyone else is going to be awake, especially since they had debriefed at 1 am, but he had stuck them into his hoodie pocket in case he needed them.

Lazily, he goes through the steps to make pancakes and he makes enough for everyone, which is a whole lot of pancakes. While he's cleaning up, Steve, the early riser he is, comes out of his bedroom with Bucky in tow because they had smelt breakfast. They hadn't expected the newest and youngest hero to be the one making the entire team breakfast, but Steve had to admit he was impressed and a little proud of Queens.

Steve walks into the kitchen and asked Peter from behind, "Peter, do you need any help with breakfast?"

Oblivious to the presence of the two super soldiers as he concentrated on making pancakes, Peter didn't respond since he couldn't hear him and hadn't seen him.

Steve was a bit surprised since the Peter he knew was always so polite, bent over backwards to call all of them by their official titles, was as respectful as possible, and seemed to constantly be talking with members of the team. Taking a step forward, Steve placed his hand on Peter's shoulder and Peter nearly jumped out of skin.

He whipped around to see Steve and Bucky staring at him before saying, "Geez! You can't sneak up on me like that!"

Steve looked at him confused before saying, "We walked in a few minutes ago and I just asked you if you needed help making breakfast. How is that sneaking?"

Peter sort of stares at Steve, trying to figure out what he was saying. His tired body and mind wasn't letting him lip read, which was never a great way to communicate but hey you do what you have to, to the fullest of his ability.

Rubbing his eyes, Peter just held up a hand to stop Steve from speaking anymore as he pulled his hearing aids out of his pocket. He put them in, allowed himself to adjust to the sudden massive influx of noise, and then lowered his hand before saying, "Okay, I'm ready. What did you say Mr. Rogers?"

Steve was a bit taken back because he hadn't known that Queens used hearing aids, but suddenly their interaction, and many others, made a lot more sense. "You're Deaf?"

Peter was confused by Steve's question before saying, "Yes? I have been since I was like five. Why do you—" and then he suddenly remembers that very few of the avengers actually knew he was Deaf since he was a pretty new addition to the regular team. Nodding a bit, he said, "And I'm assuming that never came up in conversation with you since you didn't know."

Up until now, Bucky had been quiet but he took now as an opportunity to interject himself. He waved a hand to get Peter's attention before signing, 'Do you know ASL?'

After the awkward moment of realizing he never told the leader of the avengers he was Deaf, Peter welcomed the distraction and grinned at Bucky's question. He loved talking in and about ASL. In response, he signed, 'Yes, I grew up using English and sign. You know ASL?'

Bucky nodded, 'I had to learn all of the major languages when I was the Winter Soldier. ASL is the 3rd most used language in America so it was one of the ones I learned.'

Steve watches Peter and Bucky talk. He knew some ASL but he was nowhere near fluent. He knew enough to have a conversation with Clint when he didn't want to wear his hearing aids, but that was about it. When Bucky and Peter's conversation came to an end, Steve waved a hand to get Peter's attention back. Slowly, and with awkward and shaking hands, Steve signed, 'If you don't want to wear your hearing aids, you don't have to. We want you to be comfortable.'

Peter was grinning from ear to ear as he took his aids out and put them away. He welcomed the silence as he tried to wrap his tired mind around the fact that two 100+ year old super soldiers just had a conversation with him in ASL as if it was the most normal thing in the world for superheros to do at 6 in the morning running on next to no sleep.

[kaidatheghostdragon]

Has anyone put Ida Manson and Alfred together? Do they even have a ship name?

I just want a fic where Ida affectionately blackmails the Waynes to help Team Phantom.

She and Alfred have been in a long-term and long-distance relationship

Ida definitely knows the Waynes are the Bats but has maintained plausible deniability up to this point

I think it would be out of character if Alfred didn't know that she knows, therefore he does

The Bats don't know that Ida knows and might not even know she's anything more than a distant friend of Alfred's

I'm torn on whether Sam's parents know that Ida has a relationship with Alfred

Ot1h, it would be hilarious that she kept it hidden from them. Maybe Sam knows and relishes in the rebellious nature of her grandma

Otoh, there is potential for Alfred being Sam's bio grandpa, either legitimate or scandalous, as well as potential family drama of hiding an affair with a butler

It could also color the Mansons' perception of the Waynes, too. Instead of the cliche of constantly throwing Sam at one of the Wayne kids to "marry up," they despise the Waynes because their butler defiled poor innocent Ida, or potentially dont want media attention digging into family history and finding that one of Sam's parents is the child of a butler, an affair, or a butler-affair.

If the Martha/Yhomas/Alfred threesome is invoked, things could get messy if Ida was actually part of a foursome, and one of the Manson parents is potentially an illigitimate wayne. Bruce's kids would potentially be Sam's cousins.

The cliche that Sam hates the wWaynes because her parents keep throwing her at them? Hilariously reversed. They're constantly telling Sam not to associate with the Waynes but never explain why. Rebellious Sam is gonna do the opposite, do her research, and demand to know why her parents hate the Waynes who run a meticulously clean company and dozens of legitimate charities that do some actual real good. Why can't you be more like Bruce?!

Enter Danny's accident and the sudden influx of ghosts. Ida sees the signs and requests that Alfred sends the Waynes over to appraise the situation. Could be extremely early on, or the team has had several months to establish themselves.

Suddenly, Sam is informed that Uncle (literal, socially adopted, or affectionate, use of the title is still up to interpretation at this point, but Ida is the only one that gives him that title to Sam) Bruce and his family will be visiting. She's delighted to meet *the* Bruce Wayne, may or may not be confused about him having a familial title. ("What do you mean we're possibly related? I've had a crush on Jason Todd since before he faked his death!" "You confessed your undying love for him when you were nine, Sammykins. We figured it was a phase." "I almost ran away to attend his funeral!" "You WHAT?")

Anyways, canonically, Sam is the one most interested in Danny becoming a hero, so she's going to be ecstatic to learn that her uncle/"uncle" is Batman and he's offering to personally train her. It'll be another massive point against her parents for not liking Bruce, regardless of the fact that they don't actually know that he's secretly a superhero.

I got a ton more points to add about how introducing the batfam like this, and so early in the timeline, could deviate the story, but this was initially about Ida and Alfred. So I'll just finish off by mentioning that any such fic is contractually required to have both the Waynes and Team Phantom utterly grossed out by the "old people romance" going on between Ida and Alfred.

[i-drop-level-one-loot]

Howdy, going through a phase with COD men (König my 6'10 BBG) and they would make such good Yandere husbands, would it be okay to request a Yandere military man who's completely delusional about a hostage he rescued? knife play and being stepped on with a tactical boot would be a bonus <3

btw the way you write dark content scratches such a specific itch and makes me want to wail, the yandere pirate story was *chef Kissssssss*

Honestly, the only thing I know about COD is that I kick ass at zombies lol so this is definitely just an oc

Yandere!Military Man x Hostage!Reader

CW: non-con, mention of death, assault, delusional ideation, dehumanizing language, dead dove

"Esteemed journalist (Reader L/N) has gone missing while covering the.."

The radio was drowned out by the vehicle hitting a rock, earning an aggravated groan from one of the men. Angrily, he slammed his fist on the dash board, as though he could intimidate the radio into working better. A couple of his brothers chuckled while the rookie squirmed nervously in his seat.

"Fucking, shit ass-" Adrian "Clank" Muigg muttered, quietly releasing a stream of curses in a very thick accent towards the machine.

(Most nicknames in the military were neither cool, nor had a badass backstory, most had fairly humorous or demeaning origins; Muigg, fresh out of boot camp, murdered an innocent television set in an attempt to fix it, which changed his name from "Big Bastard" to "Clank".)

The youngest man there prayed he wasn't visibly sweating. "Is everything alright, sir?"

Boston, the bushy browed man at the wheel, laughed with his entire chest. "That radio lady's talking 'bout the love of Clank's life!"

Clank felt the back of his neck heat up, and had to redirect his anger into tapping his foot to prevent himself from whacking Boston.

"I didn't know you had a partner?"

"He don't! HA! It's a one-sided, puppy love!" Boston joyfully mocked his best mate. "He's got that reporter-person's picture 'bove his bed, and has every article they've ever written. It's very sweet!"

Bright blue eyes warned Boston of the danger he was playing with, but Boston payed him no mind, causing more anxiety in the new recruit.

It was true, however, that Clank had a star struck crush on the journalist. They were brave in a way Clank hadn't seen before, the kind of bravery that made an unarmed civilian put their life in danger to expose the world to the horrors of war. This wasn't the first warzone (Reader) had willingly gone into, but it was the first time their mission overlapped with Clank's.

They were covering the battle Clank was involved in.

And it enraged him.

While their bravery is what initially drew him to them and their work, the longer he followed (Reader) the harder it got for him to read about the danger they got into. Weren't they fearful for their own life?? Why didn't they care for themselves as much as he cared for them??

The nearly six foot eight man had fantasized many times about what he would say and do if he got the opportunity to meet (Reader). He had an entire monologue prepared that exemplified his adoration for their work without ousting himself as a borderline obsessive fanboy.

However, that entire speech was forgotten when Clank burst into the room three hostages were being held in after killing the hostiles within the building, and found himself face to face with (Reader) in the flesh.

They stood defiantly, arms outstretched to protect the two other reporters behind them, not even wearing a bullet proof vest, ready to sacrifice themselves to save their coworkers.

Clank lowered his weapon, numbed by the sudden influx of confusing, and conflicting, emotions.

He was hurt, because he finally got to meet (Reader), and they were prepared for him to kill them.

He was enamored, because even with dirt clogging their pores, hair matted with sweat and drying blood, skin bruising and swollen, they were still the single most radiant being he had ever laid eyes upon.

And he was angry. Why wasn't (Reader) cowering like a good little civilian? Didn't they know that they could die? Why didn't they care about their life?

"I'm here to rescue you." Clank's voice was robotic, and unattached. It didn't feel like he was the one saying it, as the three frightened adults relaxed, scrambling over to his side. "Follow me."

He watched his object of affection as they obliviously helped lead the other two hostages down the stairs to the military vehicle. Their right eye was nearly swollen shut, but they were supporting a grown ass man with a slight limp. Clank imagined blowing the man's brains out.

As they made it down to where the group could see Clank's team, (Reader) released their friend and attempted to go back up the stairs. Still experiencing his out of body conundrum, Clank grabbed their arm forcefully, hard enough to earn a yelp from his favorite celebrity.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" He seethed, hissing the question between his clenched teeth to prevent himself from screaming it. The other two greedily ran outside to Boston's embrace, leaving them alone in the building.

"My footage, they kept it upstairs." Professional as always, the diligent champion of justice kept calm despite the feeling as though their arm would snap in Clank's fist.

"That is not important!"

"You don't know what I saw! It is, and I need the evidence, the proof, of what I saw!"

"Clank, where are you?" Boston's voice on Clank's radio distracted him enough for (Reader) to snake out of his grasp, bolting back up into the building.

"Shit-!" He pulled out his walkie as he ran up behind the surprisingly quick journalist. "Everything's good, I'll be down in a few minutes, start taking the others back."

"Uh, no? Excuse me-"

"That's an order."

"Clank-"

"I said; that's an order."

The violently pissed off man holstered his radio as he charged up the stairs three steps at a time.

His precious (Reader) had taken it too far this time.

Even if they didn't care about their own life, he cared. He loved them, adored them, worshipped them, so how fucking dare they continuously put their life in danger like this?

If they were to be wed one day, their life would be his. And that was downright disrespectful.

(Reader) could be heard rifling through cabinets and cupboards through the door of the first room on the floor above the one they were held prisoner on. Clank attempted to cool his rage before entering, wishing to not scare his future spouse again.

Glancing up only briefly, the adult of smaller stature offered a meak smile before going back to searching. "I'm sorry for that.. I don't mean to make your job difficult, but this is really important. We almost died for this footage; hell, LeDoux had his knee cracked open by one of those- his knee must be killing him."

-almost died-

-almost died-

Their words repeating in Clank's eardrums played over the exclamation of (Reader) finding their equipment. (Reader) almost died, for what? Nothing was more important than their life.

"I'm sorry?" Bloodshot eyes stared wide with confusion from under pursed eyebrows.

Without realizing it, Clank had spoken his thoughts out loud. But, perhaps this was for the best. They would have to learn the truth sooner or later. "Nothing is worth your life." He doubled down as he slowly approached (Reader).

It took a lot more energy forcing himself to smile than he wanted. Clank had never been so stressed or angry or conflicted in his entire life.

"That isn't for you to say." Sharp words responded with a huff, thrusting the camera into a duffel bag.

Clank released a humorless laugh. "You are like a small dog, aren't you, my dear?" His muscles were tensing under his uniform, and although (Reader) couldn't see it, they could feel the dangerous shift in his mannerisms. "You do not know of the danger you are in, so you bark loudly."

Although a pit of fear weighed down their stomach, the much weaker of the two hid it well, scoffing, and moving to stroll past Clank, praying that he was bluffing.

A harsh slap to their cheek confirmed that he was being serious, sending the already injured (Reader) to the floor.

Before they could scramble to their feet, a heavy, steel toed boot was placed firmly on their chest, pressing the air out of their lungs.

(Reader) could feel the blood rush to their head as they struggled to breath.

Clawing at Clank's shin and calf didn't move him.

"It is not your fault, that you are such a little dog. But, like all little dogs, you must be trained. Yes?"

Not a single word could be uttered. Black spots bounced around (Reader's) vision.

Clank eased up on the pressure just enough for oxygen to fill his love's deprived lungs. Between coughs and sputters, (Reader) only got out "Stop-" before his heel was digging into their sternum again.

"Tsk tsk tsk.. Now, I don't want to do this, but I have to. For us. So you must obey me, little puppy. Now, what do dogs say?"

(Reader) glared up at him in pain and hatred, sneering as angry tears welled up in their puffy eyes.

"Woof.." The pitiful bark was spat out.

"Ah ah ah." He wagged a finger at them in a chastising fashion. "Be nice, little puppy." His weight increased warningly, squeezing out a pained cry.

".. Woof."

Seeing the person Clank had loved for the past four years under his boot, writhing, flushed in the face, glistening eyes staring up at him and only him.. Clank could feel himself stiffening, and it disturbed him. Why did seeing his beloved cry in pain give him a hard on?

No, it is not because they are crying in pain.

Clank smiled, warping the situation to rationalize his hard cock pressing against his zipper. It was that they were being obedient for him.

Another cry rang out, louder this time, as Clank accidentally put too much weight on (Reader's) ribcage, lost in thought while admiring their pathetic face.

He got off, kneeling down so (Reader) wouldn't think about trying to get up. They got the message, and continued lying, grasping their chest and breathing raggedly.

"Good dog." Clank ran a hand through their hair. "You will listen to what I say, won't you?"

"Ye- ...woof." Their words quivered in shame.

"Good. Now, get on your knees."

(Reader) bit their tongue with how quickly their mouth clamped shut. It was humiliating, but their chest hurt so badly.. They rolled over, propping themselves up onto their hands and knees.

Their resolve to do as Clank said to avoid more pain was immediately forgotten when they felt his large hands tug at their pants.

"What are you doing?" They yelled in fright, whipping their head back to look at him before having their skull smashed into the floor, holding them down.

"Training, remember? For someone known for their intelligence, you sure are a moron. Bark, bitch."

Tears mixed in with snot, as (Reader) snarled "Fuck you!"

Clank removed his hand from their soft hair to firmly grasp their hips with both of his hands, pulling (Reader) onto his dick. "Incorrect."

"No!" (Reader) screamed, feeling Clank's bare member as it entered them painfully all in one thrust without lubrication. As they cried out, a slap to their ass rang out through the nearly empty room.

"What do dogs say?"

"Fuck you!" Another painful slap left a welt that would certainly bruise.

"You want to act like a bitch, putting your life in danger as though it doesn't matter, you're going to be treated like a bitch!" Clank raised his voice, terrifying his victim. "Now, what do dogs say?"

Slap!

"Woof.."

Slap!

"Woof! Woof! Bark!" They barked between viciously sobbing, heaving as he ravaged them from behind, fucking them so hard that their entire body rocked forward dangerously. The only reason why they hadn't fallen face first into the cement flooring was Clank's right hand digging painfully into their pelvis.

Whereas for (Reader) this was a nightmare, joy was already melting away Clank's anger.

"See, this will be better, for both of us. When we get back, you'll quit your job, and I can finally take care of you."

His thrusting became more passionate, and (Reader) could feel his precum as he began to slide in and out more easily. "I've dreamt of this for so long, and now I will finally be yours: whether as your husband or as your owner."

That triggered (Reader's) fight or fight response, realizing what Clank was implying. They attempted to throw themselves forward, to scramble away while he was still inside of them.

A strong arm caught (Reader) easily. Their spine was bent backwards, holding the attempted escapee in a head lock with a knife pressed to their throat as Clank continued stretching out their hole.

Despite their desperate pleas, their new fiance held (Reader) still on his cock as he released inside of them, going drunk on the way their walls felt clenching him as they milked him dry.

Eyes hazy with lust, he kissed their jaw, still keeping the knife held firmly against their neck just in case.

"Good dog."

A/N: I'm sorry it took so long! Thank you so much for your patience, I hope you like it ❤️

[teyamskxawng]

What Once Was [I]

Lo'ak Sully x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Neteyam Sully x Fem!Omatikaya!Reader

Part II here

The rundown: The once unbreakable bond between you and Lo'ak is tested as a newfound connection develops between you and Neteyam

Warnings: language, love triangle, jealousy, miscommunication, angst (i think?), Lo'ak can't handle change, Lo'ak is emotionally immature, everyone is kind of oblivious, characters are aged up

WC: 5.0k

A/N: love triangle fic bc i was feeling messy but i'm kind of struggling to write this... i have absolutely no idea how it's going to end, but we're sticking with it i guess

For as long as you can remember, you and Lo'ak have always been inseparable. Born just days apart, it's like you were destined to grow up side by side, practically attached at the hip. From your most embarrassing moments to your proudest achievements, there was, and still is, rarely a time when the two of you aren't together. 

Once a wide-eyed, lanky little girl, you've blossomed into a strong and capable young woman. And it's no different for Lo'ak. The wayward and reckless boy from your childhood has matured both physically and emotionally (sort of) into a man. Neither of you are children anymore. You've outgrown those naive days, stepping into the world of adulthood.

It's all still new and bizarre to you—your sudden awareness of the terrifying looming task of finding a mate, the unexpected influx of second glances and prolonged conversations with the other guys in your clan, the near-constant gossip that there's more to your relationship with Lo'ak than meets the eye. But you figure these little sprinklings of oddities are simply part of the ever-changing journey of growing up. 

And throughout all the confusing changes and inexplicable hormones, Lo'ak continues to be your rock. His enormous smile and infectious laughter remain the same; they still possess the power to brighten even your gloomiest days.

To many, he's the olo'eyktan's son; a direct descendant of the esteemed Toruk Makto; the antithesis of his older brother; some four-fingered anomaly to stare at and whisper about. But to you? You've never defined him by any titles or labels. In your eyes, he's simply Lo'ak: the first person you ever called a friend. Stupidly reckless yet fiercely loyal, easily the most annoying person on Pandora yet the one soul you could never live without—you wouldn't have him any other way.

You're forever intertwined through idyllic shared moments: climbing your way up towering trees until your palms were raw with blisters and hurt like hell, egging each other on to reach risky new speeds and daring new heights while soaring through the sky atop your ikran, spending nights wide awake in adjacent hammocks while trying to hold in your childish giggles over idiotic jokes that no one else could possibly understand. The friendship between you and Lo’ak is steadfast and unwavering; nothing can shake the bond you share.

At least, that's what you thought until Neteyam entered the picture.

In all fairness, Neteyam has always been around. He's like a constant presence, just sort of hovering on the periphery of your life. With him being a year older, it used to seem like an entire lifetime separated you during your childhood years. He bore so much responsibility on his shoulders at such a young age yet still held so much respect and admiration from everyone around him. Destined to become the olo'eyktan of your clan and recognized throughout Pandora as an extraordinary hunter, Neteyam grew up as a literal prodigy in every sense of the word.

And despite growing up alongside him and his siblings, Neteyam's awe-inspiring reputation often still makes him seem larger than life—like an ethereal figure rather than someone deeply connected to so many of your childhood memories. 

You and Neteyam have always been on friendly terms, but you never reached the same level of closeness as you did with Lo'ak, Kiri, or even Tuk. Your interactions with him typically consist of simple hellos whenever you pass each other in the Sully tent, aimless lighthearted conversations during your joint training sessions, or joining forces to playfully (not really) gang up on Lo'ak in a mutual spirit of camaraderie. Even though these moments are undoubtedly positive and enjoyable, they're also few and far between compared to your experiences with the other Sully kids. 

Neteyam always has so much shit to do, so many things to train for, so many duties to obey. You'd be lying if you said you didn't feed into Lo'ak's 'perfect little warrior' quip about Neteyam behind his back.

And when Jake decides to send all of the warriors in your training group on paired week-long hunting trips to put your acquired skills to the test, he doesn't even think twice before shooting down your and Lo'ak's mutual request to team up because he's a heartless, cruel old man he has first-hand experience of the way you and Lo'ak seem to revert back to children in each other's presence. 

Lo'ak gets paired with some stony old head who's over twice his age, while you get paired with Neteyam, which actually is alright with you. Neteyam sends you a warm smile when his father points you his way, and you, in turn, shoot a massive grin back at Lo'ak's sad little face.

The hunting trip goes even better than you could've imagined. Throughout the week-long journey, not only do you make a handful of clean kills, but you also manage to break through some of the emotional barriers that Neteyam has always maintained around himself. Behind his protective walls, when he lets his guard down, he's just like any other Na'vi your age—he's witty, charming, and endearing in his own distinctive way. 

He's also objectively nice to look at.

So it's really no one's business if you find yourself mesmerized by the muscles rippling across his back as he draws his bowstring, aiming at a fish you should be helping him track. Or if you're too busy admiring the way his tanhì glow in the moonlight to register that he's called your name three times in a row without receiving your response. You're an adult; you’re allowed to admire other men. Besides, Neteyam seems to be blissfully unaware of the fact that he's a heartthrob. He's kind of introverted and shy, yet arguably one of Pandora's most genuine and kind-hearted souls. And honestly? You feel kind of stupid for not taking the time to peel back each layer of his carefully crafted facade and build a deeper friendship with him sooner. It's an unexpected companionship that blossoms during those days spent side by side with Neteyam in Pandora's mesmerizing beauty, and it'll forever be a treasured part of your shared memories. 

Upon returning from your week-long hunting trip, it's apparent to just about everyone that something has changed between you and Neteyam. Your bond has deepened, and every moment spent together is more meaningful than before. Your laughter booms louder; your conversations last longer; your shared glances become more playful. To say the experience has brought you closer would be the understatement of the century.

Lo'ak quickly picks up on the not-so-subtle changes in your friendship with his brother. 

The shift in dynamics has left him feeling a confusing mix of emotions—anger, hurt, and maybe even (definitely) a tinge of envy. As he watches his brother grow closer to you, he can't help but feel like he's losing the one stable thing in his life—the one person who never mocked him for his avatar blood, never made him feel like an outcast, never picked his brother over him. 

Not until now. 

It's bullshit. It's like Neteyam doesn't have enough blessings already, like he doesn't have his choice of any other person on Pandora. It just had to be you. With each passing day, Lo'ak feels himself becoming more distant from you and his brother, unsure how to navigate those choppy waters. 

Which brings him to today.

The three of you are together, riding your ikran to scout out an uncharted waterfall that you stumbled across while on a solo hunt earlier that week. You practically begged Lo'ak to go back to the waterfall with you, and despite all the emotional commotion clouding Lo'ak's mind, he still decides to join you, hoping that maybe things will return to normal. Just you and him. What he doesn’t know, however, is that you also invited Neteyam to tag along. It’s a surprise Lo'ak discovers only when he arrives at your meeting spot and finds his brother already there, leaning on his ikran and chatting away with you like the two of you are best friends. Neteyam has a stupid smile plastered on his face as he holds your attention, completely oblivious to his brother’s arrival.

He never intended on slipping into this role—the one left behind. But here he is, grappling with feelings he can't totally name or understand; vulnerability mixed with longing, anger chased by guilt.

Childishly, Lo'ak stands there in silence for a good ten seconds before either of you notice his arrival and finally make room for him in your little group.

"Hey," you greet him, a wide grin spreading across your face. But it goes entirely unnoticed by Lo’ak, whose eyes are dead set on his brother. Maybe if he tries hard enough, he can telepathically tell Neteyam to go away. 

"You didn't say he was coming," Lo'ak mutters, finally glancing in your direction. Because you didn't. He doesn’t even need to say his name; it’s obvious. The two of you never include his brother in your outings.

Your enthused expression falters at Lo'ak's noticeable lack of excitement or even a simple 'hello' in response to your greeting. 

"No…" you begin hesitantly, your eyes darting back and forth between the two brothers before settling once more on Lo'ak. "But Jake got called to High Camp and canceled Neteyam's training session, so I figured he could join us instead."

It must be obvious that your words haven't exactly won Lo'ak over because, at his continued silence, you add, "You know he never gets a break."

Lo'ak's jaw clenches as he just stands there, motionless and marinating in his stubborn silence. In his head, he's cussing out his dad and Max and Norm and everyone else in High Camp for ruining his afternoon. Lo'ak frustratedly bites the inside of his cheek to keep the expletives in before calling out to his ikran. As he waits for his ride, he's still silent and brooding and completely ignoring both you and his brother.

The high-pitched shriek of his banshee echoes off the trees as it approaches from a nearby cliff. It swoops down and lands gracefully in front of Lo'ak, and he reaches out to scratch it behind the ear without a word. Only then does he finally lift his gaze to find you and Neteyam staring at him in bewildered silence.

Neteyam's previously wide eyes squint in confusion when Lo'ak locks eyes with him. Struggling to find the right words, Neteyam asks carefully, "Is that okay with you?" His voice is slow and cautious, as if one wrong move might set Lo'ak off.

Lo'ak responds with a deep sigh that echoes through the air, not even bothering to hide his irritation. Reaching over his shoulder for his queue, he connects to and mounts his ikran in a flash of silent, swift movements. After settling on its back and letting the tense silence steep for a few moments, Lo'ak answers his brother's inquiry with an annoyed shrug of his shoulders and an uptight "Sure."

So, to say that Lo'ak was pissed would be an understatement. 

A bubbling cauldron of jealousy and resentment brewed inside him throughout the entire flight to the waterfall. And as all three of you land your ikran onto a nearby patch of grass, his blood continues to seethe with envy. Lo’ak grabs his queue and separates the connection between himself and his ikran. Immediately after doing so, the ikran emits a sharp hiss directly in his face. The creature then abruptly shifts its gaze, evidently fed up about sharing Lo'ak's unnerving emotions through their bond. Lo'ak knows it's immature to be so upset over something so seemingly insignificant, but it still gnaws at him relentlessly. So much so that the prospect of seeing the waterfall doesn't even excite him anymore. The entire outing feels overshadowed by the looming presence of his brother. 

Clearly though, you feel the complete opposite way. You're practically vibrating in anticipation, each beat of your ikran's wings drawing you closer to the ground. As soon as you land, you hurriedly shower your ikran in affection with a few loving pats on its flank before quickly dismounting and happily leading the way toward the waterfall.

Lo'ak and Neteyam have to jog a little to keep up with your enthusiastic pace as you navigate through the dense forest landscape. You're a good ten steps ahead of them, deftly bobbing and weaving beneath low-hanging branches while simultaneously working to untie the armband from around your bicep. Your figure keeps disappearing from Lo'ak's view—vanishing behind veils of cascading leaves one moment and leaping over boulders the next as you determinedly forge ahead. It’s like you’ve never been outside before.

Finally, he catches sight of you, standing triumphantly at the base of a colossal rocky wall. Rising above you is a mind-blowing waterfall that makes Lo'ak pause in his tracks. It stands so tall and roars so loud that he momentarily forgets all about his shitty mood. No amount of grumbling or sarcasm can compete with, or diminish, the raw power of the wonder that lies before him. A thick mist envelops the base where the water comes crashing down, blurring the boundary between the waterfall and the pool below. Beams of daylight pierce through the airborne water droplets, casting vibrant spectrums of color that seem almost alive as they dance across the expanse of the creek.

Using both hands, you gather your braids away from your face and retrieve the armband from its position clenched firmly between your teeth. Your back faces Lo'ak as you drink in the mesmerizing sight before you, and your excitement is practically bubbling over as you shout over the roar of the waterfall, "Isn't it amazing? I told you, I've never seen anything so beautiful." 

The blend of mist, light, and color casts a glowing halo around your figure as you secure your hair with the band, and Lo'ak is momentarily entranced. His breaths are a little shallow as he nods wordlessly at your back, not really processing your words, but fully convinced of them nonetheless. 

Your head tilts back as you crane your neck to further examine the sprawling wall of rock. "It's kind of a climb to get to the top," you warn. Lo'ak can practically see the gears turning in your head as you map out the best route up, the strategic warrior in you taking over. When your focused attention finally returns to Lo'ak and Neteyam, there's a mischievous twinkle in your eyes. "We should race," you challenge them with a grin.

The rugged, nearly vertical incline is intimidating but definitely doable. Lo'ak knows you're a skilled climber; the two of you spent your childhood scaling trees together. He fondly recalls days spent scrambling up trees and challenging each other to reach the highest branches. It felt like the biggest accomplishment in the world when you'd both reach the summit of Hometree. You'd bask in the view of the forest from the canopy until your parents inevitably tracked you down and scolded you for your reckless behavior.

You practically made climbing trees your entire personalities until Lo'ak's dumbass had to go and fall out of one. It left him with a nasty purple bruise that was way too big to hide, and when he went to his grandmother for healing, you were both unceremoniously banned from your cherished little hobby. It wasn't even that high up, but you've never let him live it down—constantly (and only half-jokingly) claiming that the accident is the sole reason he's a little off in the head.

The memory makes Lo'ak's lips twitch into a grin, and he's about to remind you of that nostalgic day when Neteyam speaks up.

"I guess it's good we didn’t invite monkey boy," Neteyam says, entirely serious. He's gazing up at the rocky enclosure in determination, raising a hand to shield his eyes from the harsh daylight before turning back to face you.

Your face scrunches up in confusion as you ask, “Who?”

Neteyam just nods at you before clarifying, “Spider.”

Lo'ak watches as you're silent for a few beats before you break out into a slow, wide grin and let out a loud snort of laughter. 

Lo'ak has to physically restrain himself from rolling his eyes, because nothing that Neteyam said warranted that kind of reaction. The remark wasn't even supposed to be funny; their whole family has been calling Spider by that nickname ever since he was little. But of course, the first time you hear that piece of information, it has to come from none other than Neteyam. And Lo'ak just has to stand there in silence like a third wheel for the umpteenth time that day. 

You’re barely able to string together words through your uncontrollable bubbles of laughter. "My Eywa," you gasp out, your eyes squeezed shut as you shake your head in disbelief. Finally catching your breath, you implore him lightheartedly, "You need to tell jokes more often, Neteyam. I’m serious."

Lo'ak knows that you're probably being a little sarcastic and a little serious at the same time, but either way, it's not like Neteyam knows that. He's just beaming back at you with that same dopey look on his face as he basks in your amusement. 

"I will…?" comes Neteyam's response, almost as if it were a question or a statement requiring some kind of validation. Lo'ak watches as you extend an arm to playfully nudge the back of his brother's head. This time, Lo'ak does roll his eyes as the two of you fall into a cycle of tugging on each other's braids and tails like a pair of five-year-olds. 

And it's been like this more and more often lately: Neteyam showering you with attention, you grinning from ear to ear and laughing at every single word that leaves his lips. It's irritating. And it gets even worse.

You finally manage to sneak out of Neteyam's reach, refocusing your sight on the towering wall ahead. 

"I'll go first," you declare confidently, surveying the wall from top to bottom as you adjust the bow and arrows securely fastened to your back. You locate a small protrusion in the rock's rough surface and firmly position your foot into the crevice, your fingers searching for a higher ledge to grip. Finding one, you propel your entire body upwards with a determined leap.

Lo'ak, unable to suppress his competitive inner child, is soon hot on your heels. From the moment you both mastered your bow and arrow, taking down your prey with clean precision, to the day you tamed and forged a bond with each of your ikran, your combined spirit of friendly competition has fueled a relentless desire to outdo each other. 

And today is no different.

"Bro, wait up!" Lo'ak shouts, his voice cutting through the cool mountain air. "I thought you said we were racing!" He scrambles onto the wall beside you, his eyes locked on your every move. Your quick hands and feet expertly navigate the rough, uneven surface of the rock wall, leading the way up.

"We are," you retort, not even sparing a glance at him as you carefully calculate each handhold and foothold. You keep your focus on the task at hand, stretching your arm out to grab a rock to your far left. 

Lo'ak extends his arm to grip the same rock you just occupied. He's well aware and not at all ashamed of the fact that he's blatantly copying your every move now—anything to keep up with your quick pace. 

"Then why'd you start without us?" he manages to ask, a little bit out of breath.

"So you can watch and learn," you reply confidently, a smug smile playing at the corners of your lips. Your outstretched foot reaches over just enough to give Lo'ak's shoulder a teasing little nudge. 

"Txanfwìngtu," Lo'ak mutters under his breath, but clearly not quiet enough. The unmistakable sound of his brother's disapproving "Lo'ak" reverberates through the air behind him. You whip your head in Lo'ak's direction before half-heartedly hissing at him. Your attempt at intimidation quickly dissolves into barely-contained laughter as you revel in the look of pure irritation on Lo'ak's face. 

You're still laughing as you resume climbing, but as you take your next step, you miscalculate your foot's placement on the rugged surface and momentarily lose your balance, whispering a soft "shit." But before you even have a chance to panic, you quickly catch yourself and regain your footing like it's nothing. Because it isn't. 

But Neteyam, the picture-perfect angel that he is, doesn't hesitate to reach out and steady you from his spot standing right behind you, even though you're barely as high off the ground as Tuk's height and it's obvious you're not going to fall. 

Lo'ak’s brows furrow as he watches your entire body tense up the instant Neteyam's hands wrap around your waist.

Something ugly swirls in Lo'ak's stomach as he notices the way his brother's eyes are practically glued to your waist, his fingers lingering on you for a few beats too long for it to feel friendly anymore. It's not until you turn your head over your shoulder to meet Neteyam's gaze that he actually has the presence of mind to shift his eyes up toward yours and let go of your middle.

"Sorry," he mumbles, so quiet and timid that you'd think he was lying if he told you he was the future leader of the entire clan.

"No, no, it's okay. Thank you," you say with a smile, clearly trying to brush it off and diffuse any lingering awkwardness from the situation. You turn back around and resume your ascent like nothing, but it doesn't escape Lo'ak's notice that he can detect the distinct scent of your arousal in the air, as clear as day. 

It's a natural reaction, something Lo'ak has noticed before in various situations without any cause for concern. He'd usually just tease you about it, and that would be that. But today is different. Seeing his brother so close to you and knowing how easily those kinds of emotions can rise to the surface because of his presence makes something ugly swirl in Lo'ak's stomach. 

Lo'ak has become increasingly agitated by your budding friendship with his brother ever since that week-long hunting trip you shared with him. And now? Now he's just confused. Everything feels so different. He's almost positive that there's something more going on between you and Neteyam—something deeper than just a normal, platonic friendship. The nagging feeling inside him refuses to go away, and he can't understand why it hurts so much.

You and Lo'ak have always been best friends—nothing more and nothing less. He's watched you talk to other men in the clan. There were countless instances where guys would boldly make a pass at you, even with Lo'ak standing right there by your side. But he'd always just laugh it off or poke fun at you. Because deep down, he's confident none of them are truly worthy of you, and nothing serious will ever come out of those flirtations.

But things are different now. Along came Neteyam—the perfect little warrior son who defies each and every one of those odds. Lo'ak can't ignore the fact that his brother is more than good enough for you. In fact, Neteyam is probably one of the few clan members who could actually be considered suitable for someone like you. This harsh truth strikes Lo'ak like a massive weight dropping on his chest.

Because of this, it's increasingly difficult for Lo'ak to shake off the nagging suspicion that something must've happened between the two of you. His mind is practically racing as thoughts of what could have transpired between you and Neteyam play over and over again inside his head like a dissonant, never-ending loop. Because what the fuck was that back at the bottom of the waterfall? Even now, your scent lingers in the air like a constant reminder of how Neteyam put his hands on you, cruelly etched into Lo'ak's memory.

He tries to focus on anything else but that moment: the lush forest surrounding the waterfall, the light filtering through the rustling leaves above, a stingbat hanging from a tree branch. He even tries taking deep breaths to calm himself down, but nothing works. It's like the soundtrack of his thoughts can't be silenced. He's a swirling vortex of anger, confusion, and betrayal, demanding an outlet to release all the pent-up turmoil.

So as soon as the little waterfall outing is all said and done and you all return to Hometree, Lo'ak swiftly grabs Neteyam's arm, pulling him aside. A puzzled expression sweeps across Neteyam's features, which only fuels Lo'ak's rising frustration over the entire situation. But the tense silence hanging in the air is cut short by your concerned voice.

"Is everything okay?" You inquire, your wide eyes dancing back and forth between the two brothers, searching for some kind of explanation.

​​Lo'ak's eyes, previously burning with rage, soften as they shift from his brother to your worried face. You just have that effect on him. 

With a brief nod of his head and a forced grin, Lo'ak tries to casually address your concerns. "Yeah, don't worry about it. I just need to talk to Neteyam about something." Sensing the tension ebbing away, he loosens his previously iron grip on his brother's arm, finally allowing it to drop altogether. "We'll catch up with you later."

Lo'ak holds his breath as you narrow your eyes at him, your face a clear mask of suspicion given his not-at-all-reassuring response. Your eyes dart toward Neteyam, who only offers you a shrug and a half-hearted smile. But clearly, he doesn't fully understand what's happening either.

Lo'ak doesn't let out the breath he's holding until you give him a reluctant nod in agreement before walking away.

Lo'ak's eyes are glued to your retreating form as you walk away, pushing past a group of low-hanging vines and disappearing into the distance. He refuses to tear his gaze away until he feels confident that you're far enough from him and his brother. With his heart pounding in his chest, he turns to face Neteyam, his eyes filled with accusation.

Without bothering to offer any preamble or context, he bluntly demands to know: "Did you fuck her?" This question has consumed him for what feels like an eternity—days melting into weeks.

Neteyam just blinks at Lo'ak, caught off-guard by the explosive confrontation. His forehead wrinkles, and his eyes squint towards his younger brother, clearly puzzled by the unexpectedness of the question. As shock gives way to disbelief, all he can muster in response is an incredulous "Are you serious?"

Lo'ak shoots back with a sarcastic huff of laughter, but his expression is anything but amused. "Dead serious, bro," he confirms, punctuating the statement with a firm nod of his head.

Neteyam's hands reach up seemingly unconsciously as they rake through his braids in clear frustration before rubbing at the sides of his temples. His eyes squeeze shut as he takes a moment to process the incredulity of it all before shaking his head and sighing heavily in exasperation.

He finally opens his eyes again and answers with unwavering certainty. "No," he replies with conviction, locking eyes with his brother to drive home the sincerity of his words.

Although Lo'ak finally feels a hint of relief surge through him at Neteyam's denial, the rage he's been harboring toward the entire situation continues to seethe just beneath the surface.

"But you want to, right?" he questions, his voice laced with a touch of hysteria, his frustration boiling over. "You just can't help yourself from taking the one person in my life who actually cares about me? You're that fucking selfish?" Lo'ak's mind races as he rambles on, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. His fists clench tightly at his sides, just itching to find their way to his brother's face.

Neteyam seems genuinely taken aback by Lo'ak's sudden outburst. He actually has the nerve to look like he's in disbelief. "That's not fair, and you know it," Neteyam says, his voice carrying a hint of hurt.

Lo'ak scoffs at Neteyam's defense, shaking his head in frustration. "Not fair? You're so full of shit," Lo'ak fires back. Because Neteyam will never understand. His life is picture-perfect. He doesn't have to carry the burden of being the second-born son—always the second thought, always living in someone else's shadow. He'll never get it.

Neteyam tries to reason with Lo'ak, his voice calm and pleading as if he's carefully picking each word to tread lightly on volatile ground. "Look, Lo'ak," he begins, his words measured like he'd practiced them already. It wouldn't really shock Lo'ak if that was the case.

"Y/n and I appreciate each other's company, but it's never crossed the boundaries of friendship. Still, I don't see why that matters. You told me the two of you are just friends, right?"

Lo'ak's silence hangs heavy in the air, as if the weight of the truth is finally sinking in. Neteyam's words weren't untrue; Lo'ak can't deny them. There were rumors floating around about you and him supposedly courting each other, barely over a year ago. You and he just laughed about it before mutually shutting everything down because you weren't anything more than friends. Aren't anything more than friends. But now the memories of those rumored whispers haunt him, like they're laughing at how stupid and confused he is about everything concerning you all of a sudden.

Lo'ak hesitates for what seems like an eternity, drawing a knowing smile from Neteyam, who then places a firm hand on top of Lo'ak's head like he's a little kid. The gesture only serves to intensify the fire burning within Lo'ak. Neteyam doesn't know anything about his friendship with you. 

Frustration and anger bubble up within Lo'ak as he forcefully wrenches his brother's arm away from him. "Get your hands off me," he mumbles, taking several steps back to put some distance between them. "And keep your hands off y/n," he adds as an afterthought, his voice bitter with resentment.

The air between the two brothers is thick with tension and unresolved emotions. It's like a storm, just waiting to break loose. Their bond has always been iffy, but at this moment, it feels like it could be severed altogether by the thin thread barely keeping them connected. 

It's too much.

Without another word, Lo'ak turns and walks away, each of his footsteps heavy with the weight of his tormenting feelings.

A/N: This feels so dramatic?? Lmfao this is exactly why I don't write angst, but I do have a second part sitting in my drafts 😼

Next part here

[woso-fan13]

Whumptober 2023: 23 (uswnt)

No. 23: “It’s gonna get me by the end of the night.”

Shadows | Stalking | “Who’s there?”

It’s a Monday night when it first began. You were where you normally were on a Monday night, crashed on Preath’s sofa while eating take. It was your favorite tradition, and it was being interrupted by your phone buzzing constantly. 

You groan dramatically, picking it up. Scrolling on your Lock Screen, you can see that they’re all notifications from Instagram. It wasn’t uncommon for you to get a rush of notifications, but it was unlikely that you would get one now- you hadn’t posted in a week. 

Shaking your head, you look at them briefly. The first is letting you know that you have a new follower, the username a seemingly random array of letters and numbers. The dozens of notifications that follow are from likes and comments on your previous posts, including those from years ago. They’re all from the same account.

“Everything okay?” Christen asks. 

Turning your phone off and tossing it to the other end of the cushion, you nod.

“Yeah, totally fine. It seems like someone just found my Instagram. Anyway, what movie are we watching?”

This restarts the heated discussion, all arguing in favor of your choice. You won. 

—-

You forget about the sudden influx of notifications after you post a new photo and your entire feed becomes an influx of notifications. It seemed like a one off deal, nothing to worry about. 

It’s not until you’re leaving practice one day that you remember it. As you’re exiting the building, your phone dings repeatedly. A half dozen Instagram notifications, all from the same account as before. They’re liking and commenting on a picture that you had posted from practice earlier that week. Understandable, you looked good in the picture. 

Walking to your car, you notice a paper stuck under your windshield. Confused as to who was leaving flyers in the carpark, you grab it and toss it on your passenger seat with your kit bag. 

You’re out of the parking lot and halfway home before you’re stopped at a light. Curious, you decide to look at the flyer. Unfolding the paper, you’re met with a print out of your Instagram from earlier that week. 

An uneasy feeling settles in your stomach, and you move to a different lane of traffic. You were going to see Tobin and Christen. 

—-

The women were worried about it, but it’s nothing that hasn't happened before. It’s a given that when your life is on display, people are going to watch and respond to it. It’s weird, but it’s something you’re adjusting to. 

You join them for dinner anyway, staying after to talk until it becomes late enough that you decide to spend the night. 

It was better that way. 

—-

You decide to take a break from social media after this event, posting on your story to inform the fans. You just needed a few weeks to yourself to get your head back on straight, then you would be back. 

You log out of the app after this, wanting to avoid all the notifications as everyone sees and responds to this. Your phone is quiet for the first time in awhile. 

Later that afternoon, a call comes through from an unknown number. You answer it, a short greeting falling from your lips. The only response is silence. A few seconds later, you hear the beginning of an inhale before the line disconnects. 

Blocking the number, you go about your day.

—-

You get a text later that week. You’re in Preath’s living room, having basically moved in recently. The three of you are all working separately together, laptop keys clicking. The chime of your phone breaks the monotony. 

I’m sorry. Please don’t leave. 

A text from an unknown number. You immediately show the phone to the two women, all of you deciding that this had gone on long enough and calling the police. 

Officers arrive within the hour, questioning you about all of the events. They take your phone as evidence, and for this you are grateful. By the time you’re finished with everything, you’re ready for bed. You get ready quickly, creeping over to the door of Christen and Tobin’s room. Not even asking, you crawl into the middle of their bed. 

—-

Logging into your laptop in the morning, you yawn as you check your email. Nothing that exciting- updates from the club, minor changes to a brand deal, countless emails from companies that somehow have your contact information. 

You’ve almost cleared out your inbox when you notice one without a subject line. Opening it, you see minimal text. 

I said I was sorry.

—-

It’s almost a month until the next time you have contact with this person. The silence had made you hopeful, hopeful that the police had caught the person. Hopeful that it had at least made them stop messaging you. 

That last part was true, you were no longer receiving messages from this person. And, while you didn’t know it, the email you had received that sucked the air from your lungs would be the last you would receive from this person. 

—-

After playing 90 minutes, you were exhausted. You never let this stop you from signing jerseys and taking pictures, though, and you start making a lap around the stadium. You’re almost finished, really only a few yards from the tunnel, when it happens. 

A hand latched onto your wrist as you moved away after signing a poster. You try to tug it away, but the grip tightens. 

Looking up, you’re met with an exceedingly average looking crowd. Until you lock eyes with one person and all of your blood drains to your feet. It’s him. 

You’re frozen, unable to speak. People are laughing and shouting all around you, but it feels like the two of you are trapped in a bubble. 

“Y/N,” he says, “I’ve missed you.”

“I- I- I don’t know you,” you say breathlessly. 

“Don’t be silly,” he says, tightening his grasp, “of course you do. Remember, you signed my poster at the San Francisco game last year.”

You shake your head. 

“Yes, you did. I told you my name, and you spelled it wrong on the poster. We laughed about it for ages. And, when you signed your name, you drew a heart. No one else got a heart, I checked. That was special, just for me. You remember that, don’t you?”

He hadn’t blinked the entire time he was talking. He was staring directly at you- directly into you- and you could feel it. You couldn’t look away, couldn’t pull yourself from his grasp. It’s the two of you, alone in a packed stadium. 

“Don’t you remember?” he pries. 

For whatever reason, you nod. It seems like it would be easier to agree with him. 

“I do, I remember. We took a picture after that,” it was probably true, you took hundreds of pictures after games. You probably took one with him. 

His grip relaxes slightly, eyes softening, “you do remember.”

You made the mistake of becoming confident here, going further with your lie, “it’s impossible not to remember you. What we had was special, that’s why I signed your jersey. I drew the heart so you would know you were special.”

The previously loosened grasp retightens, fingers clenching your wrist. 

“No,” he shouts, anger evident, “no. You’re lying, you don’t remember.”

The man continues ranting, one arm flailing wildly as the other keeps a firm hold on you. You can’t look fully at him, directing your gaze to the seats behind him. Only a few seconds later, though, the grip dropped suddenly. You look up. 

The man is now on the floor, pinned by a security guard as another puts handcuffs on him. Bystanders are watching, multiple phones out to film the scene. 

You don’t care about that right now. Now that you’re free, your fight or flight is finally able to allow you to take the choice you want- flight. You turn towards the tunnel, and you see a comforting sight. 

Your teammates are huddled, watching. Clearly, they had been aware of the situation. That’s not what matters though. 

You see Christen and Tobin in front of the group, hurrying to you. Running, you meet them halfway. You crash into their embrace, sandwiching yourself between them to hide yourself. Finally, you let the tears fall. 

[reallyromealone]

You known what think would be cute is that if if Baji had a omega boyfriend who he lived with and the gang didn’t know shit about it so when they come unexpectedly they are just meet Baji cuddle and omega with his fucking shirt that is clearly to big for him and he would just look up at the rest and says something along the lines of oh i didn’t known you were going to be here today or something after it would be chaos cause how their Baji get a cute ass omega

Bet bet

Toman thought they knew Baji.

They really did.

Toman got curious about Bajis apartment, one of the first of the higher ups to move out on his own, surprising everyone because well Baji is a mamas boy.

What they weren't expecting is to see Baji laying on the couch with a cute Omega laying on his chest in a shirt the was clearly Bajis by the way it hung off him and boxers watching a show.

"Oh hey, what are you guys doing here?" His voice so casual and chill as if Toman didn't just walk in on him with a damn fine Omega who stared at them hesitantly and who could blame him, like 12 people just busted into his apartment.

But Baji was casual so (name) didn't see them as a threat.

"Who is that" Chifuyu was the first to speak as Baji finally sat up, holding an arm on the small of (name)s back, scenting him with his wrist subtly "my mate" his words were simple and clear as if stating the obvious.

And that's when Bonten exploded.

"What the fuck man?! Why didn't you tell us!"

"Jesus fuck you can't just drop that out of nowhere!"

"Since when! How did a bitch ass like you pull him"

Baji looked annoyed as he snuggled his mate who looked at him annoyed "you didn't tell your friends about me? You told your mother but not your friends?" (Name) glared at the black haired man who still looked relaxed which was weird for Toman to see.

Usually Baji was very high energy and practically like a dog with how he acted.

"Bullshit, I talk about him all the time to you fuckers!" Ah there it was.

"When?! When do you talk about your MATE infront of us!"

"All the time! Yesterday I spoke about how him and I went to that pizza place!"

In Tomans defence, it sounded like Baji was talking about a friend.

"How long...?" Draken asked confused and a little dazed at this sudden influx of information "since second year"

"BITCH YOURE 23!" Smiley yelled out, frustration clear in his voice as Toman argued to Baji.

"I'm gonna go change" (name) whispered to his alpha, getting up much to Bajis reluctance, the black haired Alpha watching him walk away.

"Seriously how did you land that" Mikey said pointing in the direction of Baji and (name)s room, he couldn't even get an Omega let alone a bombshell like (name)!

"Some asshole wouldn't leave him alone and my mom taught me to respect omegas do I beat the dudes ass and from then on we began seeing each other" Baji said simply and Chifuyu looked hurt "I'm your best friend, you didn't share this vital information!"

"I did though!"

[rattys-prinxiety-countdown]

I have a lot of Prinxiety head canons, but here is a few: ❤️💜

Since Virgil is canonically a poet (he mentions writing an "angsty sonnet" in My Negative Thinking), I like to believe that he has a notebook where he writes. And if most of the poems include something about red and gold and acceptance and confusing feelings and doing something reckless just to see someone smile... Well luckily these poems are kept in a secret book that nobody will ever see!

Roman loves painting! He has painted the sunrise, the sunset, Logan's face in contemplation, Patton showing off something he baked, flowers, pretty much everything! But recently, especially after Virgil pushed Thomas to talk to Nico, (I mean how cool was he! So brave!) A LOT of his paintings include purple and sometimes his landscapes have storm clouds and he has tried so so so many times to get his art of Virgil to look right, but it never does! So yeah, a very small amount of Roman's paintings of Virgil are actually completed (but it's hard to match perfection).

One of Roman & Virgil's favorite activities to do together is playing video games. They are both extremely competitive and will spend entire nights engaged in rematches until they just fall asleep. If Virgil has woken up with Roman's head on his shoulder or Roman with Virgil's head on his, they don't mention it. However, Patton has walked in on them asleep a couple times while attempting to invite either Roman or Virgil to breakfast. He tries very hard not to make a sound when exiting the room, but they are just too cute!

After the "What Makes the Perfect Gift?" video, Roman excitedly rambled to Virgil about the $20 he received from Logan, brainstorming what he would do with it. While the event was pretty chaotic, Virgil couldn't think of a better way to spend the aftermath.

STOP this is so CUTE!

In my head prinxiety is very much a "Deer in headlights" kind of crush situation. They have a LOT of feelings but Gosh dang it, they can't help but freeze up. So by having them express their feelings through something so personal like creating, writing poetry and painting, is just so beautiful.

Patton 100 percent thinks they are secretly dating but will never ask. Seeing a sudden influx of rainstorm paintings in romans room was all the confirmation he needed <3 (tho I do think Virgil/Roman will go to him and complain about how flustered they get about their feelings, and v e r y slowly will Patton start to realize they are not, in fact, dating.)

"Patton, I think I'm in love with Roman and--"

"Well I would hope so! He's just so smitten with you!"

"What?"

"Why wouldn't he be? Arent you two dating?"

"WHAT?"

"... What?"